HOLLY HORROR

An ill-fated move into an inherited house may present an opportunity for a dark history to repeat itself.

The home has been in her family for around half a century, but Evie Archer’s first time seeing Hobbie House is the day she, her brother, and their mother arrive in search of a place to start fresh. After her parents’ divorce, life in New York City has become too expensive. But strange events and bad omens begin to appear almost immediately after they get to Ravenglass, a small Berkshires town, and the disappearance of Holly, Evie’s mom’s and aunt’s cousin, from the house 40 years prior doesn’t seem to have faded from local lore as much as the Archers had hoped. Before she realizes what’s happening, the shadow that suddenly starts following Evie everywhere begins to drag her deeper into a dark world where everyone she cares about stands in the way and the line between what Evie wants and what the shadow wants starts to blur. Sibling friction—between Evie and her brother and between Evie’s mom and maternal aunt—complements elements like an utterly creepy talking doll and dreams of a girl in a bonnet. Evie makes some decisions that will have readers yelling “don’t do that!” in excellent horror-movie fashion. Plenty of backstory is given to fill in the story of the disappearance of 15-year-old Holly Hobbie. Evie’s family is cued as white.

Energetic and colorfully descriptive.